Department of Health and Social Care

Stem Cells: Transplant Surgery

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government how many patients in England are currently waiting to receive stem cell treatment.

Lord Markham: The Department's stem cell programme is providing £2.4 million of funding for the period 2022-25. The programme is being delivered by NHS Blood and Transplant and Anthony Nolan. It aims to enhance the resilience of the UK's stem cell supply by strategically recruiting donors, particularly those most likely to donate, and to address health disparities through targeted campaigns, with a focus on ethnic minority communities. By increasing the pool of potential donors, the programme seeks to improve the availability of matches in the UK, ultimately reducing waiting times for patients in need of stem cell treatment.The Department does not hold data on the current number of patients in England awaiting stem cell treatment. However, it is important to highlight that the need for a close match influences the wait time for patients in need.

Health Services: Transgender People

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Royal College of General Practice with regard to its cancellation of a clinical conference organised by the Clinical Advisory Network on Sex and Gender on “Do No Harm” on reducing harm and promoting safe, evidence-based care for gender questioning children and young people.

Lord Markham: No discussions have been had with the Royal College of General Practitioners about the cancellation of a clinical conference organised by the Clinical Advisory Network on Sex and Gender.

Gastrointestinal Cancer

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their timescale for when theNHS England Urgent Suspected Referral pathway for lower gastrointestinal cancerwill meet the 'Faster Diagnosis' standard of 75 per cent of referred cases having a cancer diagnosis delivered or ruled out within 28 days.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their timescale for whenthe NHS England lower gastrointestinal cancerscreening referral pathway will meet the 'Faster Diagnosis' standard of 75 per cent of referred cases having a cancer diagnosis delivered or ruled out within 28 days.

Lord Markham: The Elective Recovery Plan sets out the ambition to see 75% of patients who have been urgently referred by their general practice for suspected cancer be diagnosed, or have cancer ruled out, within 28 days by March 2024, and the National Health Service remains on course to meet this. This is an aggregate measure which covers all cancer types combined, and there are not separate targets for individual cancer types or referral methods.

Medical Equipment: Regulation

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Markham on 24 January (HL1576),when they intend to publish the fully developed strategy on the Innovative Devices Access Pathway, currently undergoing a pilot phase.

Lord Markham: The Department, in collaboration with our national partners including Health Technology Wales, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, NHS England, and the Scottish Health Technology Group, announced the eight technologies that will partake in the Innovative Devices Access Pathway (IDAP) pilot on 14 February 2024.The pilot includes devices that could destroy liver cancer tumours, detect Alzheimer’s, and quickly spot those at risk of stroke. These potentially transformative devices have successfully entered the pilot pathway and will shortly receive tailored advice to support and accelerate their access to the market, and benefit patients.The pilot was significantly oversubscribed at the point of application, reflecting the excitement around the programme which builds on the Government’s Life Sciences Vision and Medical Technology Strategy. The insights gained during the pilot phase will be crucial in shaping the future direction of the new IDAP. The aim of the pilot is to test the main elements of the pathway and to provide informative learning and feedback that helps to build the future IDAP. Details of the final, formal, IDAP will be shared in due course.

Medical Equipment: Regulation

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address any constraint caused by the selection of eight technologies in the Innovative Devices Access Pathway; and whether they have any plans to increase the number of technologies thathave the potential to meet clinical needs in the NHS.

Lord Markham: The Innovative Devices Access Pathway (IDAP) is currently in the pilot stage and has been restricted to eight technologies to ensure the selected products derive the maximum benefit from their inclusion. A core aspect of the pilot is to develop the tools provided by the partner organisations, which will then in turn benefit other technologies going forward. The pilot will provide comprehensive insights and knowledge to inform the development of a future IDAP. Further details of this will be shared in due course, including opportunities to apply, and the requirements for doing so. The expert panel applied a portfolio approach to select the pilot technologies. This was to ensure the various tools provided through the pilot are trialled and tested to inform insights for the development of a future IDAP programme. Further to this, creating a pathway for the development and adoption of innovative technology into the National Health Service is a priority set out in the Medical Technology Strategy, published in February 2023. The learning gained from the IDAP pilot, and the experience of other initiatives in related areas such as the Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway for medicines, will inform development of a pathway to be established for the longer term.

Air Pollution: Health

Lord Woolley of Woodford: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the evidence of links between (1) air pollution, and (2) dementia and brain ill-health, highlighted in the study on 'Ambient air pollution and the dynamic transitions of stroke and dementia', published in The Lancet in January.

Lord Markham: The Government is dedicated to supporting research into dementia and has committed to doubling the funding for dementia research to £160 million per year, by the end of 2024/25.The Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), is supporting research in exploring the link between dementia and air pollution. An NIHR funded study identified that exposure to air pollution is associated with increased use of psychiatric services in people with dementia. The NIHR are undertaking a project to address how air pollution mitigation measures impact on neurological endpoints.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Côte d'Ivoire: Human Rights

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their latest assessment of the human rights situation in Cote d’Ivoire.

Lord Benyon: We lobby for the protection of human rights directly with the Government of Côte d'Ivoire and work closely with local civil society and human rights defenders, particularly on good governance issues, including media and civil society freedom, encouraging political reconciliation and stability, as well as the rights of women and girls. Côte d'Ivoire held municipal elections in September 2023 that were generally considered free and fair. The Ivorian Government's National Development Plan has ambitious plans to tackle gender inequalities and gender-based violence. Maternal mortality rates have significantly reduced. The recent Africa Cup of Nations included campaigns against corruption and harassment.

Myanma Foreign Trade Bank and Myanma Investment and Commercial Bank: Sanctions

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what considerationthey have given to joining the US in sanctioning (1) Myanma Foreign Trade Bank, and (2) Myanma Investment and Commercial Bank.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what considerations they have given to joining the EU and the US in sanctioning Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK has imposed sanctions to reduce the Myanmar regime's access to finance, arms and equipment. In February 2024, the UK sanctioned two state-owned enterprises, Mining Enterprise 1 and Mining Enterprise 2, for providing economic resources to the Myanmar security forces. We keep all evidence and potential designations under close review. However, it would be inappropriate to speculate about future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact.

Taiwan Strait: Air Routes

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking in response to the changes by China to the M503, W122 and W123 air traffic routes in the Taiwan Strait; and what plans they have to raise this in the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK has regular discussions within the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regarding the importance of communication and coordination in the protection of air safety, especially when it comes to changes to airspace such as this.We do not support any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and have underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait alongside partners in previous G7 Foreign and Development Ministers' and Leaders' communiques.The UK's longstanding policy on Taiwan has not changed. We consider the Taiwan issue one to be settled peacefully by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion.

Hamas: UNRWA

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of UNRWA staff who supported Hamas either by participating in the 7 October attacks or by spreading Hamas propaganda in UNRWA schools and medical facilities.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government is appalled by allegations that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned. We are aware that the UN has terminated the contracts of ten individuals identified in the allegations.We are pausing any future funding of UNRWA whilst we review these concerning allegations. We are looking to our partners in the UN to carry out a robust and comprehensive investigation.

Taiwan Strait: Air Routes

Lord Rogan: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of China concerning its decision to change the M503, W122 and W123 flight routes near the Taiwan Strait meridian line.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK has regular discussions within the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regarding the importance of communication and coordination in the protection of air safety, especially when it comes to changes to airspace such as this.We do not support any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and have underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait alongside partners in previous G7 Foreign and Development Ministers' and Leaders' communiques.The UK's longstanding policy on Taiwan has not changed. We consider the Taiwan issue one to be settled peacefully by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion.

South Sudan: Human Rights

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their latest assessment of the human rights situation in South Sudan.

Lord Benyon: South Sudan is an FCDO human rights priority country. Media freedom and civic space remains limited, with journalists and human rights activists threatened, harassed, illegally arrested, and arbitrarily detained. Sub-national conflict continues to result in human rights abuses against civilians. At the UN Human Rights Council on 9 October 2023, the UK called on the South Sudanese Government to end impunity for human rights violations and abuses, and to establish the necessary justice and accountability mechanisms.

Home Office

Slavery: Victims

Lord Field of Birkenhead: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byLord Murray of Blidworth on 10 May 2023 (HL Deb col 1923) that they are "committed to tackling the heinous crime of modern slavery and supporting victims", what steps they are taking to protect the rights of genuine victims of slavery.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Government is committed to ensuring that genuine victims of modern slavery and human trafficking (MSHT) are identified promptly and provided with the support necessary to assist them in rebuilding their lives.The rights of victims of MSHT in the UK are governed by both our domestic and international obligations, such as those protected under the Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (ECAT), Modern Slavery Act 2015 (MSA), Illegal Migration Act 2023 (IMA) and Nationality and Borders Act 2022 (NABA). Section 45 of the MSA 2015 introduced a statutory defence for victims of modern slavery to protect them from prosecution for crimes they have been compelled or forced to commit as a result of their exploitation.The Home Office funds the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC), valued at £379m over its lifespan, to provide temporary needs-based support to enable adult victims to escape modern slavery, connect with long-term support, and reintegrate into the community.In addition to the statutory support provided to children by the local authorities, the Independent Child Trafficking Guardianship service, which provides advice and support for potentially trafficked children, irrespective of nationality, covers two-thirds of the local authorities across England and Wales.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Housing: Construction

The Earl of Lytton: To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) low-rise purpose-built flats in blocks of below 6 storeys, (2) high-rise purpose-built flats in blocks of 6 or more storeys, (3) houses, and (4) bungalows, were built in England between 1992 and 2022.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The English Housing Survey is the Department’s key source of information on households and housing in England. While it is a sample survey and does not have a record of all dwellings built, it does contain data on the dwelling type and build date of English Homes. The 2022 survey shows that, of those homes built between 1992 and 2022 1) approximately 1.3 million are low-rise purpose-built flats; 2) approximately 300,000 are high-rise purpose-built flats; 3) approximately 3.6 million are houses; and 4) approximately 200,000 are bungalows. This list of dwelling types is not exhaustive and will exclude a small number of converted flats built during this period.

Leasehold: Scotland

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Scott of Bybrook on 11 January (HL Deb col 100), what assessment they have made of the success of abolition leasehold in Scotland following the passing of the Abolition of Feudal Tenure (Scotland) Act 2000 and the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: Property law and housing policy are devolved matters for the Scottish Government.The circumstances in Scotland are different to England and Wales, where historically there were many fewer leasehold properties.The UK Government agrees that the benefits of freehold ownership should be extended to more homeowners.Through the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill we will make it easier for existing leaseholders in England and Wales to buy their freeholds or to take on the management of their buildings through exercising the Right to Manage. Through the passage of the Bill we will introduce measures to ban the use of leasehold for new houses.

Freeports: Standards

Lord Houchen of High Leven: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the performance of each of the operational Freeports in the United Kingdom, particularly their overall performance in relation to (1) domestic investment, (2) foreign direct investment, and (3) jobs.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: As set out at last year’s Global Investment Summit, Freeports have already attracted a remarkable nearly £2.9 billion of investment, which will create over 6,000 jobs.The table below provides the breakdown for both domestic and foreign direct investment in each Freeport between December 2021 to November 2023, in the public domain.Sum of Capital expenditure  (millions)Type of investmentRow LabelsDomesticInternationalGrand TotalEast200150350East Midlands 175175Humber 516516Inverness and Cromarty Firth 200200Liverpool City Region 2222Solent 1515Teesside5006021102Thames 475475Grand Total70021552855 The following table details Jobs created by investments listed in figure 1, where information is in the public domain.FreeportSum of Jobs – public Freeport East1650Humber Freeport770Inverness and Cromarty Firth Freeport150Plymouth and South Devon Freeport20Teesside Freeport2150Thames Freeport1000Grand Total5740 The provided figures are based on publicly available investment data, excluding projects without precise investment values disclosed. Consequently, the sum of investment for a given Freeport may be lower than the actual total, considering ongoing efforts to secure additional investments that may not be reflected in the table because of commercial sensitivities. In instances where job figures are not publicly disclosed, they have not been included in the count; therefore, three Freeports in England have not been included as there is currently no publicly available data. Consequently, there may also be variations in job figures for individual investments where specific data is unavailable.

Department for Business and Trade

Horizon IT System: Disclosure of Information

Lord Sikka: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Offord of Garvel on 8 February (HL1877) stating that the “Post Office would not block any Non-Disclosure Agreements being broken for postmasters”, whether they are planning to give that commitment a statutory footing.

Lord Offord of Garvel: As the Post Office CEO, Nick Read confirmed to the Business and Trade Select Committee on 16 January, Post Office would not block any Non-Disclosure Agreements being broken for postmasters who were convicted. A statutory footing is not necessary.

Horizon It System: Prosecutions

Lord Sikka: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the most recent date on which the Post Office or any government agency prosecuted sub-postmasters for alleged shortfalls arising from operation of the Horizon IT system.

Lord Offord of Garvel: The last private prosecution carried out by Post Office relating to Horizon as stated on their website was in 2015. Post Office no longer carries out any private prosecutions. The Department for Work and Pensions stopped prosecuting all cases in 2012. Following correspondence from Hon Mr Justice Fraser in January 2020, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) alerted prosecutors to the issues with the Horizon System to ensure appropriate checks on its cases were made. The CPS will carefully consider any cases referred to it by the police which rely upon horizon evidence.

Horizon IT System: Compensation

Lord Sikka: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to introduce legislation to ensure that where there have been miscarriages of criminal and other civil justice caused by the Post Office in the Horizon scandal that victims are able to seek compensation for non-monetary losses such as stress, lost career opportunities, losses due sale of properties, losses caused by bankruptcy, loss of reputation and wasted time spent fighting for justice.

Lord Offord of Garvel: The compensation schemes for Horizon Shortfalls (the Horizon Shortfall Scheme) and the GLO (Group Litigation Order), for postmasters who were not convicted, already include provisions for non-monetary losses.Postmasters with overturned convictions are already eligible for compensation which includes non-monetary losses. The Prime Minister announced on 10 January that the Government intends to bring forward legislation to overturn the convictions of those convicted in England or Wales on the basis of Post Office evidence during the Horizon scandal. Subject to appropriate anti-fraud measures, these people will be eligible for similar compensation. Such compensation does not require legislation.

Nick Read

Lord Sikka: To ask His Majesty's Government what employment the current Post Office Chief Executive Nick Read had between 30 September 2017 when he ceased to be a director of NISA Retail Limited and his appointment as Chief Executive Officer of the Post Office on 16 September 2019.

Lord Offord of Garvel: As set out on Post Office’s website, Nick joined Post Office as Chief Executive Officer in September 2019. Nick was previously Group CEO at Extra Energy and prior to that CEO at Nisa Retail Limited.

Horizon IT System

Lord Sikka: To ask His Majesty's Government whether, further to reports by the forensic accounting company Second Sight, any Minister, civil servant, or director appointed by the Government advised the Post Office to make provision for contingent liabilities in its annual financial statements; andif so, on what dates such recommendations were made.

Lord Offord of Garvel: In the timeframe available to us, we have not been able to identify any Minister, civil servant, or director appointed by the Government advising the Post Office to make provision for contingent liabilities in its annual financial statements. The Post Office Board is collectively responsible for approving what is in the Accounts.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their timetable for the (1) introduction, and (2) implementation, of activity regulations under the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023.

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to progress theimplementation of the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023.

Lord Douglas-Miller: The Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023 provides a framework for the introduction of future bans on the advertising and offering for sale, in England and Northern Ireland, of low-welfare animal activities abroad. Future decisions on which specific animal activities will fall in scope of the advertising ban will be evidence based and subject to parliamentary scrutiny. Sufficient, compelling evidence will be required to demonstrate why any specific advertising ban is needed. This Government continues to make animal welfare a priority and we are currently exploring a number of options to ensure progress as soon as is practicable.

Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to (1) consult on, and (2) lay activity regulations under the Animals(Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023.

Lord Douglas-Miller: The Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023 provides a framework for the introduction of future bans on the advertising and offering for sale, in England and Northern Ireland, of low-welfare animal activities abroad. Future decisions on which specific animal activities will fall in scope of the advertising ban will be evidence based and subject to parliamentary scrutiny. Sufficient, compelling evidence will be required to demonstrate why any specific advertising ban is needed. This Government continues to make animal welfare a priority and we are currently exploring a number of options to ensure progress as soon as is practicable.

Plants: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask His Majesty's Government, following the publication of the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper (CP 1021) on 31 January, how many species or genera of plants remain banned for entry into Northern Ireland; and which species or genera remain banned.

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask His Majesty's Government which species or genera of plants are the subject of dossiers sent to the EU requesting the lifting of the ban on their entry into Northern Ireland.

Lord Douglas-Miller: Through the Windsor Framework we have already lifted the ban on the most urgent 11 priority species, these being European beech, English oak, sessile oak, Norway maple, Japanese maple, sycamore maple, field maple, crab apple, common apple, hawthorn and two types of privet (wax leaf and delavey). The ban on common hazel will be lifted soon, which will be followed by another seven species that industry have prioritised. We will continue to work with industry to identify further species as needed. The latest information on the plants’ dossiers, including those where the bans have been lifted, can be found at gov.uk.

Windsor Framework

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask His Majesty's Government, following publication of their Command Paper Safeguarding the Union (CP 1021), whether they have any plans torepeal or change the Windsor Framework (Retail Movement Scheme) Regulations 2023.

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask His Majesty's Government, following publication of their Command Paper Safeguarding the Union (CP 1021),whether they have any plans toplans to repeal or change theWindsor Framework (Enforcement etc.) Regulations 2023.

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask His Majesty's Government, following publication of their Command Paper Safeguarding the Union (CP 1021), whether they have any plans to amend or change the Windsor Framework (Retail Movement Scheme: Public Health, Marketing and Organic Product Standards and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2023.

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask His Majesty's Government, following publication of their Command Paper Safeguarding the Union (CP 1021), whether they have any plans to amend or change the Windsor Framework (Plant Health) Regulations 2023.

Lord Douglas-Miller: As has been the UK Government’s position since 2021, the systems for internal UK trade should be for UK traders, to preserve those benefits for UK traders and to maintain the smooth flow of that trade. We will continue to ensure effective legal underpinnings for those protections for internal UK trade, including as we transition to the new internal market system set out in the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper. We will provide further information on the transition to these new arrangements shortly.

Import Controls: Northern Ireland

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have plans to repeal the Official Controls (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2023.

Lord Douglas-Miller: No. As set out in the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper, the internal market system will ensure the smooth flow of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland for internal UK trade. In line with the Government’s commitments since 2021, these arrangements establish individual schemes that can be used only by UK internal market traders, to preserve those benefits for UK traders and to maintain the smooth flow of that trade. Checks on Internal UK movements under the scheme will be removed except those conducted by UK authorities and required as part of a risk-based or intelligence-led approach to tackle criminality, abuse of the scheme, smuggling and disease risks. Goods moving on to the EU will continue to face necessary checks and controls.

Ministry of Justice

Sponsorship: Prosecutions

Lord Oates: To ask His Majesty's Government how many prosecutions related to the sale or other unlawful issuing of Certificates of Sponsorship for health and care workers have taken place in each of the past three years.

Lord Bellamy: The Ministry of Justice publishes information on the number of prosecutions, convictions, and sentences across various offences in the Outcomes by Offence data tool, including a range of immigration and fraud offences. This can be found via the following link: Criminal Justice System statistics quarterly: June 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).However, information on specific instances of fraud related to the illicit sale or issuance of Certificates of Sponsorship for health and care workers is not held, and to produce such estimates would require examining individual court records, incurring disproportionate costs. It is not an offence to pass on the costs of assigning a certificate of sponsorship. However, where disproportionate fees for a Certificate of Sponsorship and other immigration costs are levied on workers, either charged upfront, or sought in recovery after the fact, the Home Office will investigate the sponsor and take action, up to and including revocation of their licence, where there has been a breach in sponsorship duties. If potential offences under the relevant offence codes, such as immigration offences or offences under the Modern Slavery Act, as presented through the above link are identified, those sponsors and others involved will be referred for criminal investigation and prosecution.

Department for Transport

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Baroness Randerson: To ask His Majesty's Government what fundingthey have made available in the past 12 months to (1) motorists, and (2) local authorities, for cross pavement charging solutions for electric vehicles.

Lord Davies of Gower: The Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant (EVCG) scheme provides support for those who own and live in a flat, or rent any residential property, to install a chargepoint at their property. In October 2023, as part of the Plan for Drivers, the Government announced plans to widen eligibility of the EVCG scheme to include cross-pavement solutions, to make EV ownership a more practical option for those without off-street parking. The Government is working closely with local authorities to support the transition to electric vehicles and facilitate easier, accessible charging. The £381 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund (LEVI) supports local authorities in England to work with industry and transform the availability of charging for drivers without off-street parking. As part of this, the Government will fund gullies and in-pavement channels where these form part of local plans. The LEVI Pilot, launched in August 2022, and expanded further into February 2023, awarded almost £62 million public and industry funding to 25 local authorities across England. This portfolio will deliver close to 3,400 public chargepoints and 1,000 gullies.

Motorway Service Areas: Charging Points

Lord Birt: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Davies of Gower on 7 February (HL1914), what assessment they have made of recent findings by the RAC that only 39 per cent of motorway services in England have at least six rapid or ultra-rapid chargersfor electric vehicles; and what assessment they have made of why their target for 100 per cent of motorway services in England to have at least six rapid or ultra-rapid chargers by the end of 2023 has not been met.

Lord Davies of Gower: There are now 800 open-access (can be used with any electric vehicle) rapid (50kW) and ultra-rapid (150Kw+) chargepoints at motorway service areas (MSAs) in England. More than 565 of these chargepoints are ultra-rapid. This is a substantial increase of over 300 ultra-rapid chargers at MSAs in the last year and 97% of MSAs now have open-access charging.56 of the 114 MSA (49%) sites now have at least six ultra-rapid open access chargepoints.A major challenge is securing the electrical capacity required at sites which can be remote. A £70m pilot for the Rapid Charging Fund opened for applications, specifically targeting MSAs in England.As well as securing power to a site, other barriers include land configuration, consents issues, and planning and wayleave blockers.Government is working closely with the distribution network operators, MSA operators, chargepoint operators and other key stakeholders in industry on wider challenges to chargepoint rollout and overcoming barriers at those sites that still need to reach their baseline provision.

Motorway Service Areas: Charging Points

Lord Birt: To ask His Majesty's Government how many motorway service stations do not have chargepoints for electric vehicles.

Lord Davies of Gower: Out of 114 motorway service areas in England, only three do not have any open-access (can be used with any vehicle) chargepoints. These are Leicester Forest East Southbound, Leicester Forest East Northbound and Tebay Southbound. However, Tebay Southbound does have Tesla only chargepoints.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Artificial Intelligence

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have tointroduce binding requirements for artificial intelligence.

Viscount Camrose: Regulators are already using their existing remits to implement the AI principles. In parallel, we are reviewing their powers and remits to ensure they are fully equipped to address AI risks and opportunities in their domains. However, in our WP response we lay out a pro-innovation case for considering targeted binding requirements on organisations developing highly capable general-purpose AI systems, to ensure they are accountable for making these technologies sufficiently safe. Legislation should only be introduced when understanding of risks has matured, and there is clear evidence these risks cannot be effectively mitigated using voluntary measures or existing legal powers.